I had the most unbelievable grilled cheese in Tuesday. The Deluxe at Bluphies, "crispy battered cheese curds and homemade tomato preserves with a little more cheese." With homemade tater tots as a side, it was a fantastic lunch.

I know many of my roadfood compatriots go ga-ga over grilled cheese, probably almost as much as some go batty over bacon.

I think for the most part I'm going to continue to ignore the grilled cheese trend.

You won't ignore this trend will you?

The other Nordic. For several years in a row we were advised by trendsetters to keep an eye out for Scandanavian or Nordic cuisine. We looked high and low before Joan Nathan reminded us that not all herring comes in a jar and is served on Jewish holidays.

another view: Bites - Cakes, pickles and the next great grub city: Top food trends for 2012 As 2011 draws to a close, the culinary trends we’re seeing on the horizon for 2012 are about comfort, familiarity, and hometown pride. Here’s a look at what was hot in 2011—and what will be in vogue in the year to come. Meatballs will give way to meatloaf Meatballs have always been a trend in my book, but I had an a-ha! moment last spring when chef Daniel Holzman, of New York City’s Meatball Shop, came by the Saveur office bearing meatball sandwiches. It made me realize that savory balls of ground meat were a bona fide trend in 2011. Get Daniel’s recipe for delicious turkey meatballs. What’s so amazing about meatballs is their chameleon-like qualities: They work brilliantly with so many global flavors. And that’s exactly what makes meat loaf—a trend for 2012—so exciting. Meat loaf is very much a grown-up food: Not only is the ketchup-glazed version a true culinary classic, but the basic idea of meat loaf is so fabulously variable! You can add whatever ingredients you have on hand—sun-dried tomato, picholine olives—and with a little imagination, you can transform a meat loaf into something wonderful and surprising. cont.....

perhaps Zataar will finally get her due as the next great cupcake chef :)

I know many of my roadfood compatriots go ga-ga over grilled cheese, probably almost as much as some go batty over bacon.

I think for the most part I'm going to continue to ignore the grilled cheese trend.

You won't ignore this trend will you?

The other Nordic. For several years in a row we were advised by trendsetters to keep an eye out for Scandanavian or Nordic cuisine. We looked high and low before Joan Nathan reminded us that not all herring comes in a jar and is served on Jewish holidays.